Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall moved through eastern Delta County during the afternoon hours.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS GJT wrote it up.
Thunderstorms with heavy rainfall moved through eastern Delta County during the afternoon hours.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Grand Junction, CO wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 16, 10:23 AM MST, 2 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 1123 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012 .SHORT TERM...(TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT) ISSUED AT 345 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012 ANOTHER SURGE OF MONSOONAL MOISTURE WORKING NORTHWARD ACROSS EASTERN ARIZONA THIS MORNING WILL BRING ONE MORE DAY OF FAIRLY WIDESPREAD SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. DRIER AIR WILL BE PUSHING IN FROM THE WEST AS WELL LATER TODAY...WITH DEEPEST MOISTURE BEING SHIFTED EASTWARD BY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL FOCUS THE HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING STORMS TO THE RIGHT OF A LINE FROM MOAB TO CRAIG. TO THE LEFT OF THIS LINE...STORMS WILL BE MORE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED IN NATURE TODAY...WITH A FEW PRODUCING GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL. TEMPS WILL CLIMB A DEGREE OR TWO IN MOST AREAS WITH A BIT MORE SUN AND SUBTLE LOW LEVEL DRYING EXPECTED. THE BIG FEATURE OF INTEREST ON HAND ANALYSIS AND SATELLITE PICS THIS MORNING IS THE UPPER LOW THAT HAS BEEN SLOWLY DROPPING DOWN THE LEFT COAST OF OREGON. THE STRONGEST HEIGHT FALLS CONTINUE TO BE TO THE SOUTH OF THE SYSTEM AND MODELS IN FAIR AGREEMENT IN CONTINUING TO PROGRESS THIS LOW TO THE NORTHWEST COAST OF CALIFORNIA BY TUESDAY MORNING. THIS LOW WILL THEN BASICALLY STALL NEAR THIS LOCATION THROUGH MID-WEEK BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM DROPS OUT OF THE GULF OF ALASKA TO THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST WHICH WILL PULL THE LOW BACK TO THE NORTH AND ABSORBING IT. MEANWHILE HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE THE REGION FROM THE MID ATLANTIC STATES BACK INTO THE HIGH PLAINS WITH A BAROTROPIC LOW STUCK UNDER THIS RIDGE OVER SOUTHERN TEXAS. GOES WATER VAPOR AND DERIVED IMAGERY SHOWING SOME DRIER AIR EXTENDING FROM THE CENTRAL PACIFIC INTO THE EASTERN GREAT BASIN. WITH THE ABOVE MENTION NORTHWEST COAST LOW DROPPING SOUTHWARD THIS DRIER LOOKS TO DISRUPT THE DIRECT MONSOONAL FLOW AS IT INFILTRATES INTO OUR WESTERN CWA BEGINNING TUESDAY. MODELS REMAIN CONSISTENT IN LOWERING PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES BACK BELOW AN INCH AS EARLY AS THIS AFTERNOON WITH VALUES BETWEEN A 0.5 OF AN INCH IN EASTERN UTAH TO NEAR 0.75 OF AN INCH ALONG THE DIVIDE FROM MID TO LATE WEEK. THEREFOR THE INHERITED TREND OF DECREASING AFTERNOON CONVECTION LOOKS GOOD ESPECIALLY ACROSS EASTERN UTAH AND THE LOWER VALLEYS OF WESTERN COLORADO. MADE A FEW TWEAKS OF MAKING POPS MORE DIURNALLY DRIVEN AND LOWERED DURING THE LATE NIGHT AND EARLY MORNING HOURS AS NO APPARENT KICKER IS INDICATED TO SUSTAIN CONVECTION ATTM. THE UPPER JET WILL BE JUST OFF TO OUR WEST AND THE ASCENT FROM THE EXIT REGION MAY KEEP A FEW STORMS GOING TUESDAY NIGHT BUT THIS SHOULD STILL BE VERY ISOLATED. TEMPERATURES WILL RESPOND TO THE DRIER AIR BY HAVE A STRONGER DIURNAL SPREAD...PUSHING BACK TO NEAR NORMAL IN THE AFTERNOON AND COOLING OFF BETTER AT NIGHT UNDER MAINLY CLEAR SKIES. .LONG TERM...(THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY) ISSUED AT 345 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012 DRIER SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL START OFF THIS PERIOD WITH MOISTURE SLOW TO RETURN WITH RIDGING CENTERED WELL TO OUR EAST OVER MISSOURI AND IOWA. THIS WILL KEEP THE DEEPER MOISTURE SLIDING EAST OF OUR FORECAST AREA WITH ANY CONVECTION GENERALLY CONFINED TO THE SAN JUANS AND ALONG THE DIVIDE. TEMPS WILL BE CLIMBING BACK TO ABOVE NORMAL READINGS THROUGH SATURDAY WITH THE DRIER AIRMASS IN PLACE. BY SUNDAY...THE RIDGE APPEARS TO SHIFT BACK WESTWARD AND ANOTHER SURGE OF MOISTURE WILL BE MOVING BACK INTO THE PICTURE. OFTENTIMES THE MODELS ARE ABOUT 24 HOURS SLOW IN BRINGING THE MOISTURE BACK...SO EXPECT AN INCREASE IN CONVECTION AS EARLY AS SATURDAY. AS THE MOISTURE WORKS BACK IN...TEMPS WILL BE INCHING BACK DOWN A BIT...BUT REMAINING ON THE PLUS SIDE OF NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND. && .AVIATION...(FOR THE 18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z TUESDAY AFTERNOON) ISSUED AT 1123 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012 NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR OVER THE HIGH TERRAIN AND SCATTERED COVERAGE OVER THE VALLEYS. SHOWERS AND STORMS WILL TRACK NORTH NORTHEAST AT A RATE OF 25 TO 30 KNOTS. LOCAL HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS WILL REDUCE VIS...CIGS AND PARTIALLY OBSCURE MOUNTAIN TOPS. FOR THE LOWER ELEVATED TAF SITES AND AIRFIELDS BELOW 6K FEET...GUSTY WINDS NEAR SHOWERS AND STORMS TO 40 KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE. EXPECT IMPROVING CONDITIONS AFTER 02Z WITH WIDESPREAD VFR AFTER 06Z. KEGE...THERE IS A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF PATCHY FOG OR 5SM BR BETWEEN 12Z-15Z TUESDAY. && .GJT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... CO...NONE. UT...NONE. && SHORT TERM...JDC/15 LONG TERM...JDC AVIATION...PF
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GRAND JUNCTION CO 518 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012 COZ001>014-017>023-UTZ022>025-027>029-171200- LOWER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-CENTRAL YAMPA RIVER BASIN- ROAN AND TAVAPUTS PLATEAUS-ELKHEAD AND PARK MOUNTAINS- UPPER YAMPA RIVER BASIN-GRAND VALLEY-DEBEQUE TO SILT CORRIDOR- CENTRAL COLORADO RIVER BASIN-GRAND AND BATTLEMENT MESAS- GORE AND ELK MOUNTAINS/CENTRAL MOUNTAIN VALLEYS- CENTRAL GUNNISON AND UNCOMPAHGRE RIVER BASIN- WEST ELK AND SAWATCH MOUNTAINS-FLATTOPS- UPPER GUNNISON RIVER VALLEY-UNCOMPAHGRE PLATEAU AND DALLAS DIVIDE- NORTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS-SOUTHWEST SAN JUAN MOUNTAINS- PARADOX VALLEY/LOWER DOLORES RIVER- FOUR CORNERS/UPPER DOLORES RIVER-ANIMAS RIVER BASIN- SAN JUAN RIVER BASIN-SOUTHEAST UTAH-EASTERN UINTA MOUNTAINS- EASTERN UINTA BASIN-TAVAPUTS PLATEAU-ARCHES/GRAND FLAT- LA SAL AND ABAJO MOUNTAINS-CANYONLANDS/NATURAL BRIDGES- 518 AM MDT MON JUL 16 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MUCH OF EASTERN UTAH AND WESTERN COLORADO THROUGH THIS EVENING. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY ACROSS SOUTHEAST UTAH AND SOUTHWEST COLORADO. SMALL HAIL AND WINDS GUSTING TO OVER 40 MPH WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE WITH THE STRONGEST STORMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING...MAINLY ACROSS THE WESTERN COLORADO MOUNTAINS. OTHERWISE...DRY AND WARMER CONDITIONS WILL BE MOVING BACK INTO THE REGION THROUGH FRIDAY. ANOTHER SURGE OF MONSOONAL MOISTURE WILL ARRIVE OVER THE WEEKEND...BRINGING AN INCREASED CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Over 0.75 inches of rain fell within an hour from a thunderstorm that moved between Paonia and Crawford Reservoir.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Colorado in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Colorado, July 2012
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 479499.